Difference between revisions of "Slaughterhouse Workers"
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It seems intuitive that the people working in the slaughterhouses shoulder some of the blame and cruelty that happens to the animals. But ultimately, they have little if any moral responsibility for what goes on. | It seems intuitive that the people working in the slaughterhouses shoulder some of the blame and cruelty that happens to the animals. But ultimately, they have little if any moral responsibility for what goes on. | ||
| − | Most slaughterhouse workers are not sadists who want to work there because they enjoy suffering, they work there often because they don't have any other choice. In the United States, roughly half of slaughterhouse workers are migrant workers from Latin America, often without practical skills, education, or fluency in English. And they also often have families to feed and provide for. On the outside, it's easy to look at this and be appalled and just think they should find other avenues of work, but without really understanding their situation, it is not very fair to pass judgement onto them. | + | Most slaughterhouse workers are not sadists who want to work there because they enjoy suffering, they work there often because they don't have any other choice. In the United States, roughly half of slaughterhouse workers are migrant workers from Latin America, often without practical skills, education, or fluency in English. And they also often have families to feed and provide for. On the outside, it's easy to look at this and be appalled and just think they should find other avenues of work, but without really understanding their situation, it is not very fair to pass judgement onto them. From a privileged, educated, relatively wealthy perspective where you can speak English, and have opportunities it's easy to look at these people, be appalled, and ask "Why don't they just do something else?" But it isn't always that easy, and is ignorant of their plight. Not everyone has savings, mobility, and access to new opportunities, and it's especially difficult as a migrant worker. |
| − | This doesn't necessarily apply to just those who don't have a choice, it applies generally to the vast majority who work there when it comes to moral responsibility. Even if a person does have a choice on where to work, the slaughtering of the animals is only being done in the name of consumer demand, not for the personal pleasure of the workers. An argument can be made that, if the slaughterhouse worker chose not to work there, that would be a huge hit to animal agriculture. The issue with that comes in the form of, if one person doesn't do it, someone else likely will. And given how this is a low-skilled job that pretty much any able-bodied person can do, if one person doesn't work the job, there is a fair chance someone else will just come in and take it. This in particular is why slaughterhouses target people like migrant workers who have no other choice, since they will more reliably stay. | + | This doesn't necessarily apply to just those who don't have a choice, it applies generally to the vast majority who work there when it comes to moral responsibility. Even if a person does have a choice on where to work, the slaughtering of the animals is only being done in the name of consumer demand, not for the personal pleasure of the workers. An argument can be made that, if the slaughterhouse worker chose not to work there, that would be a huge hit to animal agriculture. The issue with that comes in the form of, if one person doesn't do it, someone else likely will, likely another migrant worker. And given how this is a low-skilled job that pretty much any able-bodied person can do, if one person doesn't work the job, there is a fair chance someone else will just come in and take it. This in particular is why slaughterhouses target people like migrant workers who have no other choice, since they will more reliably stay, something they need given how not many people want to take or remain at these places. |
Arguably, it's better for a person who isn't willing to work there but does so out of necessity to take the job over someone willing, since the latter is more likely to be a sadistic or mentally unstable person who wants an avenue for unleashing their cruel urges and tendencies. Slaughterhouses unsurprisingly have labor shortages and massively high turnover rates (people leaving after a relatively short amount of time), so whenever a person leaves another person comes in, sees how terrible it is, leaves, then the cycle repeats. | Arguably, it's better for a person who isn't willing to work there but does so out of necessity to take the job over someone willing, since the latter is more likely to be a sadistic or mentally unstable person who wants an avenue for unleashing their cruel urges and tendencies. Slaughterhouses unsurprisingly have labor shortages and massively high turnover rates (people leaving after a relatively short amount of time), so whenever a person leaves another person comes in, sees how terrible it is, leaves, then the cycle repeats. | ||
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Now, there are instances where a slaughterhouse worker deserves blame, such as being excessively cruel beyond what is required of them. It often happens because of the stress of working in such places, and they choose to take it out on the animals. Equally, there are instances where the workers could actually be given some moral credit, if they make an effort to minimize the suffering to the animals in any way they can. | Now, there are instances where a slaughterhouse worker deserves blame, such as being excessively cruel beyond what is required of them. It often happens because of the stress of working in such places, and they choose to take it out on the animals. Equally, there are instances where the workers could actually be given some moral credit, if they make an effort to minimize the suffering to the animals in any way they can. | ||
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| + | Some may draw comparisons to the slaughterhouse workers and a hitman, and the logic above can easily be applied. The hitman isn't responsible for the killing of a person, it's the person paying the hitman to do it. But in that situation, the blame is much more evenly distributed, given that hitmen are extremely hard to come by, particularly highly skilled hitmen who will do a good and clean job, very often has a choice in getting into such work, and on top of that, it's illegal. There is no gauurntee that if you don't get one hitman to do a job, that you'll be able to get another one easily. The same logic can be applied to German OKW and other Nazi Officials during World War II (many of whom were also ideologically invested in the cause). None of that applies to factory-farmed work. | ||
=Welfare of Slaughterhouse Workers= | =Welfare of Slaughterhouse Workers= | ||
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And on top of how awful these jobs are, the workers get horrible reimbursements for the work they do because again, it's a low skilled job, and the slaughterhouses can get away with paying people less who don't have a choice. In the United States, the mean salary for a slaughterhouse worker is about $38,160, and about $47,120 on the high end.<ref>https://www.bls.gov/oes/2023/may/oes513023.htm</ref> For context, the median salary in the United States is about $45,140.<ref>https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/MEPAINUSA672N</ref> So not only do slaughterhouse workers make less than average, the high end barely makes more than that. | And on top of how awful these jobs are, the workers get horrible reimbursements for the work they do because again, it's a low skilled job, and the slaughterhouses can get away with paying people less who don't have a choice. In the United States, the mean salary for a slaughterhouse worker is about $38,160, and about $47,120 on the high end.<ref>https://www.bls.gov/oes/2023/may/oes513023.htm</ref> For context, the median salary in the United States is about $45,140.<ref>https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/MEPAINUSA672N</ref> So not only do slaughterhouse workers make less than average, the high end barely makes more than that. | ||
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| + | While it is true that lack of choice also highlights a fundamental systemic problem, as it currently stands, the most influence we have for these people is choosing what jobs they CAN get with what they currently are presented. Right now, we're choosing the evil option. | ||
==As a Topic of Interest For Vegan Activism== | ==As a Topic of Interest For Vegan Activism== | ||
| − | Many vegans, especially when they initially go Vegan, possibly share a disgust and resentment for the slaughterhouse workers, since they're doing the ultimate act of ending the animal's life. However, as discussed, this hatred is misplaced, and almost completely irrational. | + | Many vegans, especially when they initially go Vegan, possibly share a disgust and resentment for the slaughterhouse workers, since they're doing the ultimate act of ending the animal's life. However, as discussed, this hatred is misplaced, and almost completely irrational. If we should have any bias at all, is should in ''favour'' of slaughterhouse workers, not against them, and such a bias is likely visible in this article. Meat-eaters passing off some of the blame to the workers may make them less incentivized to change their own behavior. |
If anything, it is the job of Vegans to be on the side of slaughterhouse workers, if human welfare is a concern. Meat-eaters defending their choice and trying to reassign some of the blame to the workers and trying to absolve themselves of the responsibility of forcing others who have no choice to work in the meat industry rather than vegan industries. Vegans, when when appropriate, should highlight the lack of choice these people have, how these jobs are unhealthy and dangerous to the workers, the awful pay, and explain how there are other ways of providing jobs. | If anything, it is the job of Vegans to be on the side of slaughterhouse workers, if human welfare is a concern. Meat-eaters defending their choice and trying to reassign some of the blame to the workers and trying to absolve themselves of the responsibility of forcing others who have no choice to work in the meat industry rather than vegan industries. Vegans, when when appropriate, should highlight the lack of choice these people have, how these jobs are unhealthy and dangerous to the workers, the awful pay, and explain how there are other ways of providing jobs. | ||
Revision as of 16:43, 22 January 2026
Upon discussing the ethical implications of animal agriculture, common questions arise when it comes to the slaughtherhouse workers and others who work with animal products (such as meat-renderers), and the ethical implications in regards to them. Firstly, there are talks as to how much moral blame falls onto the workers, since they are the ones who are choosing to work such jobs. The other concern comes in the form of adding an extra layer of immorality when we consider how buying animal products in lieu of vegan products effectively forces the workers to endure terrible conditions at these jobs instad of something less horrible.
This article will go over both of these concerns, as well as others.
Contents
Do Slaughterhouse Workers Deserve Blame?
It seems intuitive that the people working in the slaughterhouses shoulder some of the blame and cruelty that happens to the animals. But ultimately, they have little if any moral responsibility for what goes on.
Most slaughterhouse workers are not sadists who want to work there because they enjoy suffering, they work there often because they don't have any other choice. In the United States, roughly half of slaughterhouse workers are migrant workers from Latin America, often without practical skills, education, or fluency in English. And they also often have families to feed and provide for. On the outside, it's easy to look at this and be appalled and just think they should find other avenues of work, but without really understanding their situation, it is not very fair to pass judgement onto them. From a privileged, educated, relatively wealthy perspective where you can speak English, and have opportunities it's easy to look at these people, be appalled, and ask "Why don't they just do something else?" But it isn't always that easy, and is ignorant of their plight. Not everyone has savings, mobility, and access to new opportunities, and it's especially difficult as a migrant worker.
This doesn't necessarily apply to just those who don't have a choice, it applies generally to the vast majority who work there when it comes to moral responsibility. Even if a person does have a choice on where to work, the slaughtering of the animals is only being done in the name of consumer demand, not for the personal pleasure of the workers. An argument can be made that, if the slaughterhouse worker chose not to work there, that would be a huge hit to animal agriculture. The issue with that comes in the form of, if one person doesn't do it, someone else likely will, likely another migrant worker. And given how this is a low-skilled job that pretty much any able-bodied person can do, if one person doesn't work the job, there is a fair chance someone else will just come in and take it. This in particular is why slaughterhouses target people like migrant workers who have no other choice, since they will more reliably stay, something they need given how not many people want to take or remain at these places.
Arguably, it's better for a person who isn't willing to work there but does so out of necessity to take the job over someone willing, since the latter is more likely to be a sadistic or mentally unstable person who wants an avenue for unleashing their cruel urges and tendencies. Slaughterhouses unsurprisingly have labor shortages and massively high turnover rates (people leaving after a relatively short amount of time), so whenever a person leaves another person comes in, sees how terrible it is, leaves, then the cycle repeats.
Does this mean the slaughterhouse worker has absolutely no blame? Unlikely. The slaughterhouse worker, even if it is extremely likely to be replaced by someone else, does bear a very, very small amount of responsibility, since there is a non-zero chance that exists that the job would otherwise remain vacant. But ultimately, the vast majority of the blame when it comes to animal suffering on farms ultimately come down to the consumer. If it weren't for the consumers continually buying and demanding these products, they wouldn't have to take these jobs, and would instead take something else related to food, as meat will be replaced by plant-based options. The relationship between the two should be viewed as, the less of a choice the person taking the job is, and higher the chance of someone else taking the job anyway, corresponds to increasing responsibility on the part of the person buying the products.
Some may employ a reverse-Nuremburg Defense and argue something along the lines of, the workers are the ones who should shoulder the blame, since they're the ones doing the killing and the people buying the products are just giving them the orders. A less egregious form of this, common amongst anti-capitalists, is that the corporations who own the slaughterhouses and operations shelter most if not all the blame. While there is an argument to be made that animal agricutlure corporations do shoulder a fair amount of responsibility with their lobbying and pushing of advertisements, that doesn't negate any responsibility of the consumer, and does nothing to incriminate the individual workers.
Now, there are instances where a slaughterhouse worker deserves blame, such as being excessively cruel beyond what is required of them. It often happens because of the stress of working in such places, and they choose to take it out on the animals. Equally, there are instances where the workers could actually be given some moral credit, if they make an effort to minimize the suffering to the animals in any way they can.
Some may draw comparisons to the slaughterhouse workers and a hitman, and the logic above can easily be applied. The hitman isn't responsible for the killing of a person, it's the person paying the hitman to do it. But in that situation, the blame is much more evenly distributed, given that hitmen are extremely hard to come by, particularly highly skilled hitmen who will do a good and clean job, very often has a choice in getting into such work, and on top of that, it's illegal. There is no gauurntee that if you don't get one hitman to do a job, that you'll be able to get another one easily. The same logic can be applied to German OKW and other Nazi Officials during World War II (many of whom were also ideologically invested in the cause). None of that applies to factory-farmed work.
Welfare of Slaughterhouse Workers
Working in a slaughterhouse as one can imagine, is not a very pleasant experience, and workers frequently leave these jobs with PTSD and other forms of trauma.
As discussed earlier, these people often take such horrible jobs as a necessity to feed their families, and these jobs exist because people are creating demand for them. If people stopped patronizing the animal agriculture industry, they'd still be buying food. Instead of beef burgers, people will eat veggie burgers, creating jobs for these people in a Veggie burger factory. As a bonus, they won't be traumatized and morally desensitized.
Since we have a choice as to buying vegan products or animal products and the resulting job creation because of it, it is unethical to force a person to have to take a horrible job due to how we spend our money. This can be viewed as a sort of bonus harm on top of all the other harms caused by the purchase of animal products when we consider the opportunity cost. Just as a veggie burger emits significantly less greenhouse gas than a beef burger, a slaughterhouse job is significantly more psychologically taxing than a vegan food plant. When one chooses to buy animal products over vegan products, that effectively says that he or she is fine with creating this psychological damage.
The psychological effects shouldn't be too surprising. Slaughterhouse workers tend to have higher rates of depression, anxiety, and other distress.[1] There is also higher risk of physical injuries compared to other physical labor jobs. In the United States, there is an average of two amputations per week for slaughterhouse workers.[2]
This in particular should be of interest to people who champion the rights of workers. Even if we grant the dubious notion that regardless of industry, a worker is "exploited" by their superiors and is therefore harmed (which is an empirical claim that lacks evidence) and therefore imply that working in either the meat industry or the alt-protein industry is harming the workers either way, it would be myopic to conclude that these harms are both equal in their intensity. The worst that someone in alt-protein processing may experience is the tedium and monotony of typical factory work (which is present in many industries). The worst that a slaugtherhouse worker can face are mental health issues, increased risk of injury, and becoming desensitized to violence.
And on top of how awful these jobs are, the workers get horrible reimbursements for the work they do because again, it's a low skilled job, and the slaughterhouses can get away with paying people less who don't have a choice. In the United States, the mean salary for a slaughterhouse worker is about $38,160, and about $47,120 on the high end.[3] For context, the median salary in the United States is about $45,140.[4] So not only do slaughterhouse workers make less than average, the high end barely makes more than that.
While it is true that lack of choice also highlights a fundamental systemic problem, as it currently stands, the most influence we have for these people is choosing what jobs they CAN get with what they currently are presented. Right now, we're choosing the evil option.
As a Topic of Interest For Vegan Activism
Many vegans, especially when they initially go Vegan, possibly share a disgust and resentment for the slaughterhouse workers, since they're doing the ultimate act of ending the animal's life. However, as discussed, this hatred is misplaced, and almost completely irrational. If we should have any bias at all, is should in favour of slaughterhouse workers, not against them, and such a bias is likely visible in this article. Meat-eaters passing off some of the blame to the workers may make them less incentivized to change their own behavior.
If anything, it is the job of Vegans to be on the side of slaughterhouse workers, if human welfare is a concern. Meat-eaters defending their choice and trying to reassign some of the blame to the workers and trying to absolve themselves of the responsibility of forcing others who have no choice to work in the meat industry rather than vegan industries. Vegans, when when appropriate, should highlight the lack of choice these people have, how these jobs are unhealthy and dangerous to the workers, the awful pay, and explain how there are other ways of providing jobs.
Maximizing the amount of arguments in favor of veganism not only helps a person stay Vegan, but gives additional reasons for people, and can appeal to more people, in this case a left-leaning person who emphasizes workers rights.
Comparisons to Sweatshop Jobs
There are some parallels that can be made to sweatshop jobs, though this isn't to compare them one to one.
Unlike slaughterhouses, sweatshops usually produce neutral or useful things for humanity, such as clothes, tech, and various trinkets. There are environmental concerns, but production and manufacturing can be done cleanly (see [Ecomodernism]). Also unlike slaughterhouses, sweatshops actually bring benefits to the people working in them, such as increased wealth, better living conditions, more access to education and infrastructure, and longer life expectancy. And unlike the slaughterhouse jobs which are being provided instead of something less unpleasant, sweatshop jobs are taken because they present a much better alternative to the jobs they currently have, or, it's the only job they're being given. Sweatshop jobs don't replace better jobs; they replace worse ones that already existed in local areas. The jobs that are already present in these countries are usually farming (which is a nightmare in hot and humid countries), scavenging, or even drug dealing and prostitution.
There is a comparison to be made in terms of choice. In both situations, the workers taking these jobs often have no better alternative, and consumer's purchasing habits decide the jobs these people will have. In the case of a slaughterhouse worker, we could (as it bears repeating), buy Vegan products and create jobs in the mock-meats sector. In the case of a sweatshop worker, there really isn't much alternative we can give them besides clothes and tech, though working in a sweatshop, despite the awful conditions, is much more preferable than a slaughterhouse job.
Sweatshops are also crucial in the economic development of a country's economy. The West also had sweatshops during the Industrial Revolution, which was an important step towards the health and comfort that it thrives in today. The same can't really be said for slaughterhouses, which are often just a strain on the country's economy and resources.
